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Posted by Lee Hasse on 18:40:40 10/23/08
Went out to Yamato Scrub late this afternoon and made some troubling observations concerning the Least Grebes. The chicks were fine and feeding along the west edge of the pond(where the dirt path is). Didn't see either adult at first, but then saw one at the far east end of pond completly opposite the chicks. A few minutes later we saw both adults together. What was disturbing was that they were quite a distance east of their nest. This is the first time in over a week we've seen both adults at the same time together. We surmised one adult was on the nest as their activity suggested they had laid more eggs.
When we arrived at the pond a group of about 20 county workers were leaving. We had been told there would be a crew there to spray herbicide for a regularly scheduled maintenance program.
The treated areas are a bright bluish green color. Some of the areas treated are quite close to the nest and we're afraid the grebes might have been frightened away from their nest today.
When we left the chicks had been joined by one adult in the nest area but then they moved towards the east where the other adult was. I guess the good news is that there are still two adults and two growing chicks.
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